Politics

From Egyptian small farms to Israeli tables

Behind frozen greens in Israeli markets lies a 650% surge in Egyptian exporters: a vast network stretching from hidden Delta hamlets to active shipping lanes.

Yousef Okail_

From Egyptian small farms to Israeli tables

Latest stories

The day after Damietta: Will Egypt be dragged into war?

Politics_

The question isn’t whether Egypt keeps an equal distance from every side in the region’s war. It’s which side it stands with, and in which trench it intends to fight.

Dina Samak_

The day after Damietta: Will Egypt be dragged into war?

What a $20,000 drone revealed about Egypt’s air defenses

Politics_

A drone strike on Damietta port tests Egypt’s air defenses. Experts say it’s no failure, but a warning about how cheap, low-flying drones are changing the threat.

Ahmed Albordeny_

What a $20,000 drone revealed about Egypt’s air defenses

Right to arms: What tipped the scales for Khalil Al-Hayya?

Politics_

Al‑Hayya takes Hamas’s helm by a razor‑thin vote, inheriting a fractured movement, stalled ceasefire, and pressure over weapons, governance, and Gaza’s reconstruction.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_

Right to arms: What tipped the scales for Khalil Al-Hayya?

Inside the quiet revolt at Egypt’s Judges’ Club

Politics_

Egypt’s Judges’ Club just elected a president who ran against the government’s favored candidate, and judges say the vote was a message years in the making.

Mohamed Napolion_

Inside the quiet revolt at Egypt’s Judges’ Club

From Gandhi to Modi: How India abandoned Palestine

Politics_

India’s shift from staunch Palestinian ally to Israeli partner didn’t happen overnight. It took an ideology, a digital army, and the systematic reshaping of a nation’s conscience.

Tamer Alhelaly_

From Gandhi to Modi: How India abandoned Palestine

Nick Oberheiden: Trump’s handler gets US embassy in Cairo

Politics_

No diplomatic experience, no foreign affairs background, and no public record before arriving in America. What he has, however, is Trump’s ear. Now he represents the US in Egypt.

Ahmed Dahaby_

Nick Oberheiden: Trump’s handler gets US embassy in Cairo

The war on journalists in Palestine

Politics_

From direct financial sanctions against the ICC prosecutor to the quiet leverage of pro-Israel donors, the global apparatus of accountability has been actively dismantled.

Camilla Olivieri_

The war on journalists in Palestine

Code meters, mounting bills, missing files: Egypt’s electricity standoff

Politics_

Skyrocketing electricity bills are the new penalty for building violations in Egypt, trapping millions between soaring costs and a broken system that keeps losing their paperwork.

Abdallah El-Bastaweesy_

Code meters, mounting bills, missing files: Egypt’s electricity standoff

Reading the runes: Cairo’s cautious eye on the New Damascus

Politics_

Egypt navigates the "gray zone" of the Sharaa regime, waiting for the light of clarity before fully reconciling with a state it once viewed as an existential threat.

Samar El-Gamal_

Reading the runes: Cairo’s cautious eye on the New Damascus

Biting but bounded: The media reform roadmap on the president’s desk

Politics_

Al Manassa obtains the full text of the state’s confidential media reform report. Can the state truly build a freer press while maintaining its role as the national shield?

Shaher Ayad_

Biting but bounded: The media reform roadmap on the president’s desk

One year on: Workers remain the weakest link in Egypt’s new Labor Law

Politics_

Egypt’s new labor law promised a “qualitative leap” in workers’ rights. A year on, the law’s protections are colliding with coercive employers and weak enforcement.

Ahmed Khalifa_

One year on: Workers remain the weakest link in Egypt’s new Labor Law

Deadliest by design: The Mediterranean graveyard in 2026

Politics_

Nearly 1,000 deaths in early 2026 mark the deadliest start for the Mediterranean in a decade. As EU rescue missions vanish, the route to Europe becomes a high-casualty corridor.

Youssef Ebrahem_

Deadliest by design: The Mediterranean graveyard in 2026

Explainer| Trump's ballroom obsession, who's paying for what?

Politics_

A shooting at the Hilton, a demolished East Wing, and a $400M "party venue." Is Trump building a ballroom or a fortress? The dark secrets beneath the new White House.

Saher Ahmad_

Explainer| Trump's ballroom obsession, who's paying for what?

Washington vs. Islamabad: Beirut's puppet masters or sovereign bluff?

Politics_

Amid Israeli strikes, Lebanon thaws 33-year chill with direct Israel talks in Washington, extending US truce despite Hezbollah backlash. Sovereignty bid or bitter concession?

Ahmed Dahaby_

Washington vs. Islamabad: Beirut's puppet masters or sovereign bluff?

Ramzy Ezzeldin: The rebirth of the Political Advisor

Politics_

A veteran diplomat who navigated Syria's war, clashed with ambassadors, and spent years arguing Egypt needs democracy to lead the region. Now he's the president's political advisor

Samar El-Gamal_

Ramzy Ezzeldin: The rebirth of the Political Advisor

Weaving a nuclear Kiswa: Saudi’s bid on Islamabad

Politics_

The era of the petrodollar-for-protection trade-off is over. Saudi Arabia turns to Pakistan’s "live" military weight to escape the shadow of the Abraham Accords.

Dina Samak_

Weaving a nuclear Kiswa: Saudi’s bid on Islamabad

If El-Sisi read it, why can’t we find it?

Politics_

The president cited an article accusing the government of hiding the truth—yet finding it reveals more about Egypt’s tightly controlled media landscape.

Yousef Okail_

If El-Sisi read it, why can’t we find it?

The Gulf war in incognito mode

Politics_

As war spreads across the region, migrant workers in the Gulf face arrests, deportation threats and strict warnings: don’t film, don’t post and don’t question the official line.

Yousef Okail_

The Gulf war in incognito mode

External war, internal fractures: A separatist moment for Iran?

Politics_

As US-Israeli strikes intensify, Iran faces rising separatist mobilization at home, reviving ethnic fault lines and testing the state’s cohesion in a volatile post-Khamenei moment

Mohamed Khairy_

External war, internal fractures: A separatist moment for Iran?

The shadowed debut of Egypt’s Minister of Culture

Politics_

Jihan Zaki vowed to "erase ugliness," but her debut as Culture Minister is being eclipsed by a messy portrait of "ghost" tenures, asset dramas, and a stinging court ruling

Abdel Halim Hefaina_

The shadowed debut of Egypt’s Minister of Culture

Parliament Diaries| A rare consensus on import reform

Politics_

The House moves to replace prison sentences with financial fines, sending a message of "reassurance" to a private sector under currency pressure.

Enas Hussein_

Parliament Diaries| A rare consensus on import reform

Jasper Jeffers: The quiet manager of loud wars

Politics_

Fronting an ISF that monitors violations, shields Israel, and institutionalizes asymmetry, Jeffers’ rise in Gaza exports Lebanon’s “managed tension” model to a besieged strip.

Ahmed Hosny_

Jasper Jeffers: The quiet manager of loud wars

Al Manassa, rights groups set accountability deadline for AppLogic

Politics_

Al Manassa and rights groups set a Feb. 26 deadline for AppLogic to explain its role in Egypt’s digital crackdown, demanding 1% of profits go to the journalists and outlets harmed.

Al Manassa_

Al Manassa, rights groups set accountability deadline for AppLogic

Mapping the Muslim Brotherhood’s options: Reform or rupture

Politics_

Criminalization, regional pressure and internal fracture leave the Muslim Brotherhood confronting a question of survival—or reinvention.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_

Mapping the Muslim Brotherhood’s options: Reform or rupture

Hisham Badawi: From secret keeper to House speaker

Politics_

Once the state’s silent enforcer, Hisham Badawi now leads the legislature. Can a keeper of secrets hold power to account?

Mohamed Napolion_

Hisham Badawi: From secret keeper to House speaker

Saudi-UAE rift over Yemen exposes deeper gulf power struggle

Politics_

UAE says it will withdraw remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia struck Mukalla. Egypt is likely to mediate for preserving what remains of Arab cohesion in a fragile region

Mohamed El Kholy_

Saudi-UAE rift over Yemen exposes deeper gulf power struggle

The UAE's secret $2.3B bet on Israeli missile tech

Politics_

UAE's $2.3B secret deal with Israel's Elbit for J-MUSIC anti-missile tech exposes deepening ties despite Gaza backlash. From civilian jets to Sudan proxies, it fuels Emirati power

Eli Siegel-Bernstein_

The UAE's secret $2.3B bet on Israeli missile tech

Maritime fault lines: Libya’s gas diplomacy tests Egypt-Turkey thaw

Politics_

Libya’s maritime dispute with Turkey resurfaces as Egypt and Greece push back. Cairo eyes energy dominance, while Tripoli navigates fragile alliances and legal dilemmas.

Ahmed Albordeny_

Maritime fault lines: Libya’s gas diplomacy tests Egypt-Turkey thaw

Ghassan Al-Dahini and the recycling of chaos in Gaza

Politics_

From jihadist to Israeli-backed militia leader, Al-Dahini’s rise exposes a risky “day after” gamble—recycling extremism into local proxies that could drag Gaza into civil war.

Yousef Okail_

Ghassan Al-Dahini and the recycling of chaos in Gaza

A Year Without Assad| A new Middle East begins in Damascus

Politics_

One year on from Assad’s fall, Syria’s upheaval is reshaping the region. From Ankara to Tel Aviv and Washington to Tehran, Damascus has become the hinge of a new political order.

Mohamed El Kholy_

A Year Without Assad| A new Middle East begins in Damascus

A Year Without Assad| The metamorphosis of a jihadist

Politics_

A year after Assad’s fall, Ahmad Al-Sharaa—formerly the jihadist Al-Joulani—represents the defeat and cooption of political Islam to serve the agendas of regional players

Amr Adly_

A Year Without Assad| The metamorphosis of a jihadist

How voters’ ballots evaporated after the president’s veto

Politics_

After the president’s veto, rerun elections in Imbaba and other constituencies slashed vote totals, lifted independents, and exposed how engineered results can suddenly unravel.

Safaa Essam Eddin_

How voters’ ballots evaporated after the president’s veto

Water workers raise their voices, but is the state listening?

Politics_

Cairo drinking water workers lead rare, organized protests over wages, delayed bonuses, and job insecurity, exposing how austerity and soaring prices are eroding daily life.

Ahmed Khalifa_

Water workers raise their voices, but is the state listening?

The Empire's Vizier: Epstein and the new Middle East

Politics_

Long after his death, Epstein’s shadow lingers—across war zones, intelligence corridors, and tech firms carving and re-molding today’s Middle East.

Nihal Salama_

The Empire's Vizier: Epstein and the new Middle East

Election rigged by bribery, no matter the president’s shout

Politics_

Widespread vote buying, staged crowds and voter steering marked Egypt’s second election phase, defying the president’s call for cleaner voting and repeating phase one’s violations.

Mohamed Napolion_

Election rigged by bribery, no matter the president’s shout

Parliamentary elections with a local-council flavor

Politics_

Campaigns focus on services over legislation, reflecting weak competition, muted opposition, and voter frustration amid rising living costs.

Ahmed Albordeny_

Parliamentary elections with a local-council flavor

Britain's 'Core Protection': A temporary visa in asylum limbo

Politics_

UK unveils sweeping asylum overhaul—temporary protection and tougher removals for all refugees, with Arab and Egyptian claimants among those most affected.

Raphael Isaac_

Britain's 'Core Protection': A temporary visa in asylum limbo

The Gulf’s moment is Saudi

Politics_

Saudi Arabia, not Qatar or the UAE, is best placed to turn today’s “Gulf moment” into lasting regional power, from Gaza diplomacy to economic weight.

Amr Adly_

The Gulf’s moment is Saudi

Déjà vu in Egypt’s parliamentary elections

Politics_

Election day for first phase of House vote echoed the Senate: empty polls, staged crowds, widespread violations, and rampant vote buying shaping a tightly controlled process.

Mohamed Napolion_

Déjà vu in Egypt’s parliamentary elections

The Talgo train deal: Not quite out of love for the President

Politics_

A Spanish train deal hailed as a presidential favor hides conflicting figures and missing costs—raising questions about transparency in Egypt’s 158 million euro Talgo contract.

رحاب عليوة_

The Talgo train deal: Not quite out of love for the President

El-Sisi's last parliament?

Politics_

Analysts see Egypt’s new parliament—elected without real competition—as a potential step toward scrapping presidential term limits and extending El-Sisi’s rule.

Mohamed El Kholy_

El-Sisi's last parliament?

Law on Trial: UNRWA, ICJ, and Israel's politics of defiance

Politics_

As Israel blocks aid and defies the ICJ, the Court’s ruling is clear: UNRWA is indispensable, and Israel’s legal obligations are no longer open to negotiation.

Nourhan Fahmy_

Law on Trial: UNRWA, ICJ, and Israel's politics of defiance

Britain’s Gaza paradox: Diplomacy in the shadow of death

Politics_

After a Gaza ceasefire, Britain’s ‘recognition’ of Palestine exposes deep hypocrisy: mass protests, arms sales, and intelligence support show UK complicity it still denies.

Cara Burdon_

Britain’s Gaza paradox: Diplomacy in the shadow of death

Gaza on life support under Israeli control

Politics_

Gaza struggles for survival under Israeli control as a fragile cease-fire continues, revealing destruction, displacement, and the fight to rebuild amid occupation.

Salem Elrayyes_

Gaza on life support under Israeli control

Parliament Diaries| 2025 House elections, reconfiguring power

Politics_

Egypt's 2025 House elections signal a shake-up: veteran MPs sidelined, opposition gains space, and ex-ministers return in a tightly managed political recalibration.

Safaa Essam Eddin_

Parliament Diaries| 2025 House elections, reconfiguring power

Gaza’s gamble: The price of making the world watch

Politics_

Two years after Oct. 7, Gaza endures vast losses as Israel faces growing isolation. Legal pressure builds, but repeated US vetoes blunt accountability and delay a ceasefire.

Ahmed Albordeny_

Gaza’s gamble: The price of making the world watch

Raphael Cohen: The translator who chose to stand on the line of fire

Politics_

Cohen's whole life has been a refusal of easy binaries—Jew or Arab, East or West, translator or activist. He carries all those identities within him, refusing to be boxed in one.

Dina Samak_

Raphael Cohen: The translator who chose to stand on the line of fire

Interview| Basel Ramsis on Gaza, the flotilla, and a journey cut short

Politics_

Forced off the Freedom Flotilla through accidental injury, filmmaker Basel Ramsis recounts the “senseless coincidence,” the trauma of leaving, and why Gaza must remain the hero.

Hoda Fayek_

Interview| Basel Ramsis on Gaza, the flotilla, and a journey cut short

Barrack forecasts a new Middle East: No more 'lines in the sand'

Politics_

Barrack invokes Sykes-Picot not to condemn colonialism, but to suggest maps can be redrawn again to by American power. This time explicitly with 'no guarantees.'

Mohamed Bassal_

Barrack forecasts a new Middle East: No more 'lines in the sand'

Because Trump’s plan for Gaza is the only available option

Politics_

Trump’s Gaza plan gains quick international backing, but experts warn it imposes victor’s terms, deepens Gaza-West Bank divide, and avoids statehood.

Mohamed El Kholy_

Because Trump’s plan for Gaza is the only available option

Tony Blair and the quest for redemption in the Middle East

Politics_

Tony Blair after Cool Britannia, the Iraq war, and Quartet envoy is tipped to lead Gaza’s new “Board of Peace.” Can he offer and find redemption—or repeat old failures?

Raphael Isaac_

Tony Blair and the quest for redemption in the Middle East

The House of Representatives 2025 with a 2015 flavor

Politics_

Egypt’s 2025 House race revives echoes of 2015: party feuds, money-driven nominations, and a fragile balance between pro-government blocs and the opposition.

Safaa Essam Eddin_

The House of Representatives 2025 with a 2015 flavor

Israel eyes 'alternative homeland' for Palestinians; Egypt says no

Politics_

As Israel seeks to displace Gaza’s population abroad, Egypt wages a quiet but determined diplomatic battle—blocking deals, swaying capitals, and drawing a line in the sand.

Ahmed Albordeny_

Israel eyes 'alternative homeland' for Palestinians; Egypt says no

Interview| Jibril Rajoub: Arab support for the PA is insufficient

Politics_

Rajoub warns Arab support is insufficient, admits PA needs reform, slams Israel’s "crueler Holocaust", and admits Fatah struggle with Hamas is a fight over power.

Mohamed Khayyal_

Interview| Jibril Rajoub: Arab support for the PA is insufficient

Ethiopia’s GERD inauguration tests the fragile future of the Nile

Politics_

Ethiopia inaugurates the Nile’s giant dam after 13 years of failed talks. Addis hails progress, Cairo warns of threat. Will the project spark cooperation or conflict?

Mohamed Soliman_

Ethiopia’s GERD inauguration tests the fragile future of the Nile

FM Abdelatty, a police sergeant or a diplomat?

Politics_

Egypt’s foreign minister blurs the line between diplomat and enforcer, sparking scandal over protests outside Egypt’s embassies and tarnishing the country’s global image.

Khaled Dawoud_

FM Abdelatty, a police sergeant or a diplomat?

World media shrouds in black for Gaza journalists

Politics_

Now, as the blackout fades from screens and front pages, what remains is a resounding call for accountability.

Nihal Salama_

World media shrouds in black for Gaza journalists